Sighting of small-arms.



W. YOULTEN.

SIGHTING OF SMALL ARMS.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT. 10, I9l5.

1,226,935. Patented May22, 1917,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM YOULTEN, or HovE, ENGLAND.

SIGHTING 0F SMALL-ARMS.

Application filed September 10, 1915.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, VILLIAM YOUL EN, a subject of the King of England, residlng at Hove, Sussex, England, have invented cering the head of the marksman, so that while in a trench for instance he can take aim without running the risk of being shot by the enemy.

My present invention refers to an improved form of instrument or device of the class in question which is extremely compact, which can be readily attached to or removed from a rifle in a few moments and which when attached but not in use can be brought into such a position as not to interfere with the rifle or be liable to be damaged.

According to my invention, I provide a clip or means of attachment, preferably adapted to be passed around and clamped to the stock or butt of the rifle or like arm, such clip being furnished with a pivoted stem, adapted to be turned into or brought into such a position as to come normally flush with the butt, when the instrument is not in use, but adapted to be brought into an approximately vertical position. This stem carries a prism so arranged that the marksman is enabled to aim the rifle from below without exposing his head to the View of the enemy.

And in order that my said invention may be better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawing accompanying this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rifle with my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of the butt of a rifle with the device in position;

Fig. 3 shows end view of the device;

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged detail of c011- struction.

Fig. 5 shows in side elevation and Fig. 6 in end elevation a part of a modified form of the device.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

Serial No. 50,071.

The same numerals of reference are employed to denote the same parts in all the vlews.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the device comprises a clip 7 of spring steel shaped as shown at Figs. 2 and 8. This band is adapted to be passed around the butt 8 and to be fastened firmly in position by means of the screw 9. 10 is a plate riveted to one side of the clip 7. This side of the clip 7 and the plate 10 have projecting therefrom a pivot pin 11, screw threaded at the outer end as shown at Fig. 4. 12 is a stem, the lower portion of which is furnished with a hole of suflicient size to pass over and rotate upon the pin 11'. The rear part of the stem 12 is provided with a projection or stud (circular or square) 13, see Fig. 4. 14, 14 are holes or recesses in the plate 10 with which the projection or stud 13 engages. 15 is a nut screwing upon the outer end of the pin 11 and adapted when screwed right home to hold the stem 12 firmly in position. The nut 15 is prevented from leaving the pin 11 by means of the head 16 of a screw, screwing into the pin 11. The stem 12 can be readily brought into the upper position by engaging the projection or stud 13 with the upper hole or depression 14 and then tightening up the nut 15. In order to turn the stem down it is simply necessary to loosen the said nut, slightly pull the stem 12 to one side so as to disengage the projection or stud 13 from the upper hole 14, to turn the stem 12 down about the pin 11 as a pivot, to engage the projection or stud 13 in the lower hole or depression 14 and to again tighten up the nut 15.

The reflecting instrument which is used in conjunction with the stem 12 comprises a box or casing 17 containing a prismatic block 18, furnished with reflecting surfaces adapted to deflect the line of sight downward through an angle of The particui lar construction of this instrument does not form any portion of the present application for a patent but is fully described in connectiOn with an application, Serial No. 50072,

filed September 10, 1915, entitled Sighting made with a curvature corresponding to the circumference of a circle, the center of which is at the front of the foresight 21. 22 is the rear sight.

It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the line of sight through the front and rear sight is reflected by the prismatic block 18 downward to the eye of the observer whose head comes well below the top of the trench or the like upon which the rifle is rested.

The most convenient way of using the rifle when thus resting upon the parapet of a trench isto put one hand behind the end of the butt and to extend the other hand to the trigger, the head being inclined backward and kept at a level considerably below the top of the trench.

Itinay be remarked that it is not necessary to remove the casing 17 for every variation of the setting of the rear-sight, as it is found in practice that for one position of the casing a considerable variation of range may be obtained. For example, with the present British service rifle and using a prismatic block in the casing 17 having a front face about an inch square, it is found that it is possible to sight the rifle for ranges from point blank up to about 700 yards without moving the casing 17.

Moreover, as an instrument of this de scription is chiefly useful for short ranges, although the stem 12 is extended in order to enable the device to be used for longer ranges,-it is seldom necessary to move the casing 17 at all. 1

Referring now to the form of the device shown at Figs. 5 and 6; in this case in place of forming the clip 7 of springy material it is formed in two halves hinged together at 23, and fastened by means of a hinged bolt pressions in the boss of the stem 12. The

stem 12 is provided with depressions in two positions as shown at Fig. 5 and it will be seen that by turning the stem 12 into the upper position the knife edges 29 spring into the depressions and hold the stem firmly while upon pushing upon the stem it can be readily turned into and held in the lower position.

The form of fitting just described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 is applicable to machine guns provided with butts or other equivalents.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America is In an attachment for sighting small arms from under cover, the combination with a small arm provided with front and rear sights and a butt, of a band detachably clamped to said butt, an arm pivoted to said band, and a casing containing a single prism adjustably connected to said arm, and located in the line of sight, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM YOULTEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

